Living Alone During a Pandemic, This Needs Concern
Read all articles about coronavirus (COVID-19) here.
Changing daily life patterns due to COVID-19 have a serious impact on the mental health of everyone, including those who live alone. However, those who live alone can certainly survive these difficult times. Come on, find out what needs to be considered when living alone during a pandemic.
The reasons for staying alone during a pandemic need to be careful
Living alone for a long time, especially away from family in the midst of a pandemic, can certainly have an impact on psychological conditions. Feelings of loneliness, stress, or frustration as a result of these uncertain times are unavoidable for some.
For example, loneliness is often associated with people living alone even though not all of them experience the same thing. If left unchecked, loneliness can have an impact on physical and mental health, from depression to suicidal thoughts.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 is sending people through times of uncertainty. Moreover, those who live alone may find it more difficult to think positively during a pandemic.
This is because normal life before the pandemic made it easier for you to overcome loneliness by working or meeting friends. However, these activities can no longer be carried out and traveling outside is limited in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Therefore, those of you who live alone need to be more careful when planning your daily activities during a pandemic. That way, you can maintain your physical and mental health in an effort to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Tips for staying alone during the COVID-19 pandemic
While living alone during a pandemic may sound alarming, it doesn’t always lead to loneliness. Reporting from Bay HealthThere are a few tips you can do to survive when you live alone during a pandemic.
1. Noticing when you are feeling anxious or worried
Fear and anxiety in this time of year are very normal feelings for people, including you who live alone during a pandemic. However, you don’t want to be immersed in fear forever, do you?
The first step that needs to be taken when dealing with this pandemic alone is to become aware of what you are feeling at the time. Then, state the reason and let your mind and body feel and realize that you are not experiencing this condition alone.
Some people may blame themselves for choosing the path of life alone and apart from family. You probably don’t need to do that because it will only make the mood worse.
Try to start doing simple things that can keep your physical and mental health awake and in balance. For example, meeting the body’s nutritional needs, exercising regularly, and reducing alcohol consumption can improve psychological conditions.
2. Take a break from social media and news
The news that broadcasts about the COVID-19 pandemic and other bad news can actually have a negative impact on your mental health. So, you need to take a break from social media and news about the pandemic.
Living alone during a pandemic does make you want to feel more filled with information related to the COVID-19 virus. However, you also need to know the limits. Try to balance receiving this information with other activities that are completely unrelated.
Apart from reading books, you can also make use of this free time by continuing your delayed hobbies, such as painting or playing music. In fact, write a journal or book diary also benefit your mental health, especially during a pandemic.
3. Contact friends and family
In normal life before the COVID-19 outbreak began, you may find it easier to make contact with friends and family. You just need to contact them and meet up somewhere and spend some time together. However, the pandemic caused this habit to change completely.
Even so, you can still keep in touch with the people closest to you via phone or video call. This is so that you can share your feelings with those closest to you when you feel lonely while living alone during a pandemic.
Keeping up with other people might just lighten the load on your mind. In fact, no one knows whether friends or other family members also feel lonely despite being surrounded by other people. Therefore, asking them how they are doing may be of two-way benefit, both to you and to others.
4. Take care of yourself mental and body
For those of you who live alone, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, having a new daily routine is important enough to relieve anxiety.
For example, working from home will indeed be much different from everyday when working in an office. However, you can still start your day with a shower before work or any activity that gets you excited about the day.
Here are some choices of daily activities that you can do to take care of your body and mentally when living alone.
- Live a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising regularly, eating and sleeping regularly.
- Listening to uplifting songs.
- Change today’s workspace to be more comfortable to be more productive.
- Hone skills, such as cooking or finding new hobbies.
- Use the app’s help to live a healthy lifestyle.
In essence, you need to remind yourself what can be prioritized for now and how to keep your psychological condition well.
How to help people living alone during a pandemic?
Living alone during a pandemic requires a lot of attention, at least so you don’t feel too lonely. The feeling of adversity being faced alone is heartbreaking.
If you know someone who lives alone or is the only adult in the house, there are a number of things you can do to help them.
- Contact and ask about their news and conditions.
- Listening to their complaints without judgment.
- Helping to connect and make contact with those closest to them.
- Ask what needs to be done to support them during the pandemic.
COVID-19 has indeed presented so many challenges for everyone, especially those who live alone during the pandemic. Therefore, it is important for you to have daily activities that keep your physical and mental health awake at times like these.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
